An Auburn man arrested for the burglary of several North Auburn homes and cars parked at Auburn State Recreation Area trailheads is facing a new charge.
Detective Jim Hudson, of the Placer County Sheriff’s Office, said Tuesday the stolen property the Sheriff’s Office is still searching for in the case concerning Joseph William Einspahr, 30, of Auburn, could be worth anywhere between $100,000 and $200,000. So far, items worth several thousand dollars have been recovered and returned to 12 owners.
Hudson said the alleged burglars may have been involved in others cases the Sheriff’s Office is not yet aware of.
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office most recently arrested Einspahr on Monday. Einspahr was also arrested last week and the week before for burglary charges.
Einspahr was arrested in November with local residents Stephanie Jean Cooke-Perez, 27, Jayme Lynn Salcedo, 33, and Karissa Dawn Yeager, 27.
Amanda Marie Jojo, 21, is still at large and wanted by the Sheriff’s Office.
All the suspects are from the Auburn and Colfax area, according to Hudson.
Hudson said the arrest of Jojo might lead to a stash of stolen property.
Einspahr is thought to be the male leader of the female burglary ring, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The five are charged with multiple home and vehicle burglaries, possessing stolen property and possessing drugs.
Einspahr, Salcedo, Yeager and Jojo have charges dating back to the summer.
Einspahr is expected to be arraigned at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday in Auburn’s Placer County Jail courtroom on a Nov. 5 home burglary charge, according to David Broady, a deputy district attorney for the Placer County District Attorney’s Office.
“We were able to identify evidence that he committed an additional burglary we had not charged him with yet,” Hudson said of Einspahr’s most recent arrest.
Hudson said the Sheriff’s Office is hoping for a resolution to this case, because the longer the burglaries continue, the higher the chance residential victims may end up getting hurt in confrontations with the burglars.
“The tension is higher on these types of crimes, because they are entering houses,” Hudson said.
Einspahr and Cooke-Perez are scheduled for an early status conference for some of the charges at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday in Auburn’s Placer County Jail courtroom.
Information about upcoming court dates for Salcedo, Yeager and Jojo was unavailable as of press time.
Kevin Burdick, of Auburn, is Einspahr’s attorney. Burdick’s office declined to comment on the case Tuesday.
Maxine Einspahr, Joseph Einspahr’s mother, said Tuesday she is concerned her son won’t get a fair trial in Auburn.
Maxine Einspahr said she doesn’t think her son is guilty of the crimes.
“Joseph has never been in trouble, either as a child or as an adult,” she said. “That kid is the nicest kid you would ever want to meet. If you ask anyone in this town, they will say, ‘No way’ about him (committing the crimes). He is not the ringleader of those girls.”
The Sheriff’s Office said the stolen property that has been found so far was recovered from a vehicle Einspahr was driving.
Maxine Einspahr said she thinks the vehicle must have belonged to one of the other suspects.
“It wasn’t Joseph’s car,” she said. “He hasn’t had a car since he wrecked the car he and his wife had.”
Einspahr is in custody in Placer County Jail and is ineligible for bail. Cooke-Perez is also in custody and ineligible for bail.
Anyone with information about Jojo’s whereabouts or the burglaries is encouraged to call CrimeStoppers at (800) 923-8191.
Reach Bridget Jones at bridgetj@goldcountrymedia.com